In the house in Pecan Landings, Momma wakes up Raspberry early, explaining that they need to get their car and get out of the house in Pecan Landings before anyone become suspicious. Momma drops off Raspberry at school early. Deciding that she needs to make money, Raspberry skips school and sets off to find Odd Job.

Odd Job initially doesn’t ask Raspberry any questions and instead sets her to work washing cars. When there’s a break in customers, Odd Job pulls Raspberry aside and asks her why she isn’t in school. He explains that he knows what happened at the apartment: Check and Shoe “hooked up with some baby thugs and they all went in our place and got busy” (144). Raspberry’s anger flares, and she asks where she can find Check and Shoe, but Odd Job tells her to exercise restraint. He says that natural consequences will take care of them and suggests that Momma and Raspberry stay in one of the apartments that he owns.

Despite Odd Job’s ragged appearance, Raspberry hears that he has a lot of money and property in the neighborhood. When Raspberry turns him down, Odd Job warns her that their apartment will continue to be ransacked by burglars now that they’re “on the list” (147). Odd Job tells Raspberry not to miss any more school and instructs her to go clean up in the gas station bathroom down the street. When she returns, she begins cleaning the first car she sees and is surprised to see that it belongs to Dr. Mitchell, who is just as surprised to see her.

Raspberry tries to act casual as Dr. Mitchell asks her why she isn’t in school. As she tries to clean his car, Dr. Mitchell stops her and demands she get into his car. Dr. Mitchell drives over to the school to pick up Zora, and as they drive, he insists that Momma and Raspberry stay with him and that Momma needs to learn how to depend on others.

Dr. Mitchell is late to pick up Zora, who has already returned home. When Dr. Mitchell and Raspberry arrive, Dr. Mitchell apologizes for being late but doesn’t explain why, or why he has Raspberry with him. He does explain that Raspberry and Momma will be staying with them for a little while. Zora, still angry with Raspberry, shuts her bedroom door in Raspberry’s face.

Momma and Raspberry stay the night at Dr. Mitchell’s house. Although Raspberry is sleeping in Zora’s room, Zora still refuses to speak to her. When they arrive at school the next day, Zora jumps out of the car without a word. Sato greets Raspberry as soon as she exits the car to tell her that Ja’nae is in the principal’s office with the cops. Raspberry, forgetting that she and Ja’nae still aren’t speaking, hurries straight to the counselor’s office where Ja’nae is sitting. Ja’nae is not alone: Her mother is sitting with her, holding her hand. Ja’nae explains to the cops that she wants to live with her mother and that her mother has enough money to take care of her. The cops point out that Ja’nae’s grandparents have custody of her and therefore she cannot live with her mother unless she goes to court.

Raspberry goes to Ja’nae to check on her and meets her mother. Together, they listen to Ja’nae’s grandfather tell the story of how Ja’nae’s mother left Ja’nae alone for two days at age three and how she misspent her money “on foolishness” instead of food. Ja’nae is unbothered by this information and cries from not wanting to be separated from her mother.

The principal and the cops try to remove Raspberry from the room, and she resists long enough to tell Ja’nae “we still girls” (156). The office becomes chaotic as students pile in and around the office trying to figure out what’s going on. Ming rushes in to try and see Ja’nae, and the principal, exasperated, ushers everyone out and slams the door.

After school lets out, Raspberry sits on the steps, unsure of where she is supposed to go and unable to reach her mother, who is not at work. Seneca makes a cruel comment about Raspberry’s homelessness, and Raspberry is about to cry when Sato comes by and sits next to her. Sato is silent for a while and then asks Raspberry if she’s scared about her living situation. He apologizes for giving her a hard time, saying that he was just annoyed with her constant talk of money. He flirts with her, saying, “I guess it’s better to have a cute girl get on your nerves than an ugly one” (159).

The two discuss what’s going to happen to Ja’nae, who was sent home to her grandparents’ house after the scene in the principal’s office. Raspberry explains that it turns out Ja’nae’s mother’s arrival was no coincidence: Ja’nae stole her grandfather’s money to pay her mother’s bus fare. Sato is convinced that Ja’nae’s mother won’t stick around because “that kind of mother don’t stay put long” (160). Momma arrives, and she and Sato do their familiar teasing routine. In the car, Momma explains that she’s been on the phone trying to secure a different place in Pecan Landings. Still without a home, for the time being Raspberry suggests that she and Momma accept Odd Job’s offer of a place to stay.

Momma and Raspberry look around Odd Job’s apartment, and Momma inspects it to see whether it’s good enough for them to stay there. As Momma inspects, Raspberry feels weary and wants to tell her how tired she is of living this way. She stops herself when she sees the way Momma looks around the place with an air of optimism and promise. Raspberry and Momma work hard to make the place livable, but by the end of the day, there’s still too much to do for them to stay that night. Momma “puts her pride aside” and calls Dr. Mitchell to ask if Raspberry can stay the night with them while she continues sprucing up the place (164).

When Raspberry and Dr. Mitchell arrive at his house, Zora is no longer mad at Raspberry, and the two make up. The next morning, Zora and Raspberry go to Ja’nae’s house to check on her. Ja’nae explains that her mother has taken off again and that her grandfather won’t let her out until he’s sure she’s gone for good. Back at Zora’s house, they see both Momma and Dr. Mitchell there.

Momma tells Raspberry to get in the car without explanation and drives them to the house in Pecan Landings. Momma explains that Dr. Mitchell introduced her to a lawyer he knows, Mrs. Bloom. Mrs. Bloom says that the people in Pecan Landings want to discriminate against Momma and Raspberry for being on Section 8 and she will therefore take them to court. Raspberry, at first skeptical, is relieved to learn that Mrs. Bloom will accept payment in installments. Finally able to feel excited, Raspberry and Momma stand in front of the house and discuss their vision for the place. Momma asks Raspberry what color she wants to paint her room, and Raspberry tells her “Blue… With stars on the ceiling” (168), a callback to a room Momma dreamed up for her when they lived in the van.